Train name
Description
Reservation
Booking horizon
Auto/Train
Destinations from
Paris.
AUTOTRAIN
Car carrying train service running between Paris Bercy and 12 destinations in France. Vehicles are loaded onto special
car carriers and transported to the destination whilst the passengers make their own way to their destination and collect
their vehicles from the end destination station.
Compulsory
Up to 6 months before departure date
Station Name
Avignon
Location
The heart of Provence
Biarritz
Bay of Biscay in Southwestern France
Bordeaux
Port city in South West France and the capital of the Aquitaine region
Briançon
Second highest city in Europe and close to ski resort of Serre Chevalier.
Brive
Dordogne, South West region
Fréjus/St Raphaël
Medieval towns situated on the Cote d'Azur, in between St Tropez and Cannes
Lyon
East Central France and the third largest city
Narbonne
Capital of Provence on the Mediterranean and France's largest commercial port and second
largest city
Languedoc-Roussillon region situated on the Spanish border
Nice
Toulon
Situated in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region in southern France
Toulouse
Capital of the Midi-Pyrénées region in South West France
Marseille
The capital of the Côte d'Azur
* No tolls, petrol or hotel costs, which would have to be paid if customer drives the whole way.
* No need to hire a car upon arrival, so the customer has the comfort of their own car and saves on hire costs.
Key Selling Points
* Passengers travel independantly of their car and can choose their own mode of transport. If travelling by train, normal
SNCF train types and fares will apply.
* There are no excess baggage charges, customers can load as much luggage as they wish in their cars.
* Every day during peak summer season between Paris and most destinations. Refer to Intranet for more information.
Dates of Operation
* One service per week in low season on certain routes. Refer to Intranet for more information.
Departure and Arrival
* Dependent on route and date of travel. Refer to Intranet for more information.
times
Loading and
Unloading times
Prices
Vehicle guidelines
* Dependent on route and date of travel. Refer to Intranet for more information.
Price includes car transportation only. The cheapest fares are available when booked in advance. Bookings can be made
up to 6 months before departure. A supplement will apply to all vehicles measuring between 1.64m and 1.80m. Special
prices available for motorcycles. If customer wishes to travel to the end destination by SNCF train (day or overnight),
booking will be made separately and at an additional cost. Refer to Intranet for more information.
Most types of regular vehicle are accepted on AutoTrain although there are some exceptions which are outlined in the
SNCF Purple Pages document. Trailers, Roofboxes, Bicycles and Windsurfers can be transported, however conditions
apply. Only fully working vehicles are permitted to travel. For example, vehicles that have been involved in accidents or
that will not start, will not be accepted. Refer to Intranet for more information.
Vehicle dimensions
Minimum ground clearance 0.10m
Regular vehicle
guidelines
Maximum track 1.9m
Maximum width 2.5m
Maximum length 6m
Maximum height 1.55m (cars measuring between 1.56m and 1.80m can travel, but a supplement will apply).
Convertibles/Soft tops
Convertible and soft top cars must be loaded onto the lower deck of the car carrier which means that they MUST NOT
exceed 1.55m.
Motorcycles
Most types of motorcycles are accepted on AutoTrain. Vespas are not accepted as they are too light. Motorcycles must be
loaded onto the bottom deck of the car carrier, so they MUST NOT exceed 1.55m in height.
4x4's and people
carriers (over 1.55m
in height)
Luggage
Roofboxes
Cars that measure over 1.55m in height are loaded onto the top deck of the car carrier. Roof racks must be removed
before transit and only factory fitted roofbars can remain attached during transit. Cars MUST NOT exceed 1.80m with
roofbars included. Customers must be asked at the time of booking whether their car has roofbars and if they are factory
fitted or not. Please consult the Purple Pages (on the Intranet) when accepting bookings for monospace vehicles vehicles measuring more than 1.55m.
Customers can take as much luggage as they can physically fit into their cars. However, it is important to note that they
must remove all valuables from their cars as they will not be covered by the SNCF's insurance. Customers can take out
additional insurance at the station which covers luggage up to the value of €2000 or alternatively they can take out their
own additional insurance with their own insurance company.
There is no additional supplement to pay for the transportation of roofboxes, however, it would be worthwhile mentioning
to customers that if they have a roofbox that it may have to be placed inside the vehicle on busy services if there is no
space left on the car carriers. The customer will need to take the roofbox off the vehicle themselves at the time of loading
and place it on the car carrier if space allows. The roofbox cannot stay attached to the vehicle during transit for security
regulations. If a customer confirms that they will be travelling with a roofbox, please ensure that this is mentioned in the
comments field on the booking for the station's reference.
Bicycles
Windsurfers and
trailers
Parking at Stations
Collecting vehicles
from the station
A maximum of two bicycles are permitted per vehicle provided that they are securely attached to a rear mounted bicycle
carrier (must be attached to the towbar). Vehicles transporting bicycles in this way still must not exceed maximum length,
width and height limits. Such vehicles can only travel on the lower deck of the car carrier and therefore, height must not
exceed 1.55m.If the customer does not have a rear mounted (by the towbar) bicycle carrier, then the bicycles must be
folded down and placed inside the vehicle during transit. Alternatively, if the customer cannot fit the bicycles inside the
vehicle, then they can purchase additional insurance at the station which would cover their bicycles in case of damage or
theft during transit (whilst they are not attached to their vehicle) or they can take out their own additional insurance with
their own insurance company. An example of a rear mounted bicycle carrier that is accepted on Auto-train can be found on
the following website - www.pendle-bike.co.uk.
There is no extra supplement to pay for windsurfers, they will be attached to the side of the car carriers. Trailers can also
be transported if the customer pays an extra supplement. The supplement will depend upon the route, please consult
Mosaique for exact prices. Trailers will only be permitted with cars measuring 1.55m or less as they must be placed on the
bottom deck of the car carrier.
Vehicles must be dropped off on the day of departure / collected on the day of arrival during low season as the stations are
not open every day of the week. During Summer (between 25th June and 7th September 2013) vehicles can be dropped
off the day before departure / collected up to the day after arrival at the destination at no extra cost. However, passengers
must pay €15 per additional day that the car is left at the station. Vehicles must still only be dropped off/collected during
station opening times. See AutoTrain Guide for details of specific station opening times.
In the event that a customer has arranged for somebody else to collect the vehicle, the customer must inform the staff
at the departure station. The customer will then be given a form to fill in and sign. The person collecting the vehicle must
present some identification at the arrival station in order to collect the vehicle.
Instruct customer to call 0844 848 3339 for Autotrain bookings and enquiries or transfer call to AutoTrain dept. on 3345.
AutoTrain route map
* Destination served from June to September only.